The onus upon English representation in Europe’s leading club competition has been shifted towards Manchester City and Arsenal following the dramatic exit of Chelsea on Wednesday evening. Jose Mourinho’s men endured a breathtaking 120 minutes against PSG at Stamford Bridge, with the away team eventually edging through on away goals. Reigning Premier League champions City travel to the Nou Camp on Wednesday within touching distance of Luis Enrique’s outfit; their odds aided by Lionel Messi’s penalty blooper during the dramatic conclusion of the first leg at the Etihad.
In the first fixture Luis Suarez demonstrated his continued desire to terrorise Premier League outfits, as he so often did in a Liverpool shirt during his three-year stint on Merseyside. The Uruguayan broke the deadlock on 16 minutes with an angled finish and later doubled his tally to round off a classic Barcelona passing move. Talisman Sergio Aguero pulled one back for the hosts just after the hour mark although a second yellow for Gael Clichy seemed to have undone any good work. Manuel Pellegrini will nevertheless be thankful for Joe Hart’s late contribution to initially keep out Messi’s spot-kick although the four-time Ballon D’Or winner will be disappointed as the rebound went agonisingly wide.
The Catalans come into this fixture having won four on the bounce (prior to the weekend games) which has silenced any speculation surrounding a shock defeat to Malaga in February. City on the other hand suffered defeat to Liverpool two weeks ago at Anfield and looked uncharacteristically short in the attacking department. Since then they got back to winning ways and approach the Spanish giants with a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude.
Barcelona v Manchester City Betting Tips
- Barcelona to win – At the Nou Camp, one would not very often bet against the Catalan giants and this fixture is no different. Although the opposition are a little more daunting than Rayo Vallecano, who Barca dispatched 6-1 on 8th March, the likelihood of another home victory remains strong. The odds are 1/2 with BetVictor – good value.
- Barcelona to win by 3 goals – As an addition, it may be more rewarding to select a winning margin if you fancy the home side for victory. BetVictor, amongst other leading bookmakers, are once again offering the best price of 11/2 for a three goal winning margin in favour of Luis Enrique’s men.
- Man City to win either half – For the more optimistic amongst us, this selection may be a more likely one than predicting an all-out qualification for the away side. It would be illogical to tip a Man City victory over 90 minutes but to win either half, Betfair are offering odds of 21/10 and that could appeal if Barca take their foot off the gas.
- Barcelona to win 3-1 – From our perspective, the early encounters between the two sides could be relatively evenly matched with a potential exchange of goals. However, City have shown a tendency to press too far too soon and could therefore be exploited by Messi, Suarez, Neymar and the like. With the strike force detailed, Barca are a handful against any opposition – let alone when the away side find themselves chasing a game. For a 3-1 scoreline, Bet365 lead the way at 10/1.